Toronto The United BLDG | 184.85m | 54s | Davpart | B+H

AlvinofDiaspar said:
What's original about it? It's like a taller version of MaRS 2. Totally forgettable.

AoD
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Compared to all the drab green glass flat box towers we have seen over the last ten years, this is a breathe of fresh air. Very stylish and new.

What we dont need is any more "e-condos" or City Place clones.
 
Big Daddy said:
Compared to all the drab green glass flat box towers we have seen over the last ten years, this is a breathe of fresh air. Very stylish and new.

What we dont need is any more "e-condos" or City Place clones.
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More E Condos clones? What other building in the city looks like E Condos?
 
I find the "cutting the penthouse in half" effect on the University frontage awkward.
 
I'd have to see more, but at least we seem to finally be evolving passed those featureless all glass minimalist proposals. A cosmopolitan city like Toronto deserves better.
 
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adma said:
I find the "cutting the penthouse in half" effect on the University frontage awkward.
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? You mean the removal of the ground floor retail extension?

Really, I thought there would be near-unanimous agreement on the terribleness of this. Yes, "at least it's not a box". But it's 4 or 6 different forgettable boxes, stuck together with no unifying theme or reason. How lazy.
 
k10ery said:
? You mean the removal of the ground floor retail extension?
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You're right. I didn't notice that in the rendering before--but yeah, they removed it all, not just the PoMo arch. (Makes me wonder whether the designers actually realized the extension was "original".

At that point, one wonders why they even bothered to retain the 60s part at all...
 
p5connex said:
This is in fact B+H. And yes it is very reminiscent of Mars Phase II. What you are not seeing in the rendering is an arcade which runs from the corner of both the Dundas and University streets - the renewal of the ground floor retail, and a new condo entrance/address along centre street. Everything on centre st. will be coming down, even the heritage property sandwiched in the corner - however some heritage properties will be saved as stated in the proposal. The tower is 186m I think to the top, but because of its proximity to city hall and queens park, it couldn't be taller. Initially they were going to apply for 88 storeys, but it was rejected. I believe this proposal has less to do with the actual proposed building, and more to do with getting the amendment of the zoning by-law. Once that is done, the value of this property will be much higher and who knows what will come next?
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Will the heritage building at Centre and Dundas be retained?

I don't understand what its proximity to Queen's Park or City Hall have to do with limiting height. It's not as if it's rising directly behind either of them.
 
I am not okay with the deco building being demolished for this sloppy tower. If the Gehry towers have sparked as much as a storm over the demolition of the Anderson building, then hopefully this will not pass through unchallenged. At least the Mirvish proposal aims to give back to Toronto in return of major changes to the street. This just looks like another attempt to capitalize on the boom and no care for the built history is incorporated in the slightest.
 
innsertnamehere said:
the rendering clearly shows the building there... it will at least be facedomied. But judging by the placement of the tower, that building is not involved in this project. I would be more concerned for the other buildings on the block.
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Yes I noticed, my post was just in response to the bolded sentence from p5connex below. Although (s)he does say right afterwards that some heritage properties will be saved. You're probably right with the facadomy suggestion.

p5connex said:
This is in fact B+H. And yes it is very reminiscent of Mars Phase II. What you are not seeing in the rendering is an arcade which runs from the corner of both the Dundas and University streets - the renewal of the ground floor retail, and a new condo entrance/address along centre street. Everything on centre st. will be coming down, even the heritage property sandwiched in the corner - however some heritage properties will be saved as stated in the proposal. The tower is 186m I think to the top, but because of its proximity to city hall and queens park, it couldn't be taller. Initially they were going to apply for 88 storeys, but it was rejected. I believe this proposal has less to do with the actual proposed building, and more to do with getting the amendment of the zoning by-law. Once that is done, the value of this property will be much higher and who knows what will come next?
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EDIT: So it appears I should have just waited a couple more minutes before responding. The loss of the deco building is a deal breaker here for me, despite whatever is retained. This project doesn't have anywhere near the superb architecture or community benefits of Mirvish/Gehry.
 
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Really: they would have been better off just plopping a Hearst Tower in the middle of the furshlugginer mess and keeping all the outsides intact...
 
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